Thursday, July 18, 2013

THE PARENTING GAME

I’m
not a sports fan (much to the chagrin of my husband) but I’ve always loved how
baseball can be symbolic of so many crucial life lessons. I thought it might be
valuable to consider how baseball can teach us all a thing or two about
parenting and what lessons to pass on to our children.

Learn
how to lose

My
four-year-old hates to lose, whether he’s playing basketball, a board game or a
computer game. That doesn’t mean that when he insists on climbing up a chute I
don’t patiently explain to him that he can only climb up ladders. Little kids
might throw the occasional fit if they don’t get their way, but the only way to
stop those tantrums is if they realize they can’t change the rules of the game.
Learning how to strike out is just as crucial as learning how to succeed.

Realize
the importance of the sacrifice

Once
in a while you’re going to have to give something up for someone else on your
team. Sometimes you may have to share your toys, finish chores before going out
to play, or miss out on something because of the family’s busy schedules. The
good news is that the team you sacrificed for will also be there for you if you
need something.

It’s
ain’t over till it’s over

The
thing I love most about baseball is that unlike so many other sports, a team
can be down by a lot but they always have a chance to win, even in the last
inning. A day in the life of a parent is long
and there are countless ways to screw up (both for the child and the
grownup). But you can always end the day with a good bedtime story, and as long
as your kid goes to bed happy and in one piece, consider it a home run.

Watch
out for curve balls

The
one thing you can plan for as a parent is that you can never count on anything
going as planned. Excited for that vacation you have coming up? Someone is
probably going to get sick. Planning to make a phone call during your child’s
naptime? They will only want to nap for twenty minutes that day. I find the
hardest thing about being a mother is the uncertainty of knowing from minute to
minute what problem you will have to solve. Once I relinquished the idea that
everything would go as planned, parenting all of a sudden got a lot easier.

Don’t
forget about the 7th inning stretch

Kids
have a funny little habit of making everything about themselves, but sometimes
you need to step away from whatever you’re doing and give yourself a break,
even if it’s for five minutes. Modern parents pride themselves on getting down
on the floor and playing with their kids, on keeping them away from the television
and computer, for making all of their organic meals from scratch. These
accomplishments are all definitely things to be proud of, but once in a blue
moon it’s ok to turn on Disney Jr., hand your kid a lollipop (organic, of
course), and take ten minutes for yourself. As long as you’re not singing
Cotton-Eye Joe, this time out will be worth it.